why I am “AI-proof” (and you can be, too)
A couple of years ago, I was having a conversation with a smarty-pants friend of mine who is an AI expert. As you can imagine, our fundamental perspectives on the topic differ, but reasonable minds can disagree. I enjoy an opportunity to challenge my own beliefs and test for blind spots.
As someone who has built a platform espousing the benefits of analog creativity and promoting real-time gatherings, I thought she would caution me to pivot (or entirely abandon) my business in order to maintain relevance and revenue. My assumption was that she’d view what I do about as quaint and useful as a horse and buggy.
But I was wrong.
My friend said AllSwell is on the leading edge of what people will increasingly want and need. Her perspective was that as parasocial behavior peaks and we can no longer wholly trust what we see on screens, pre-existing leaders offering offline experiences and genuine community will be the most sought-after.
That conversation was top of mind recently at the Write + Draw workshop I co-led with Blythe Harris and Mallory May, the authors of The Daily Creative. I brought writing prompts; they brought drawing exercises. The agenda was pretty simple: remember how to play.
People laughed, experimented, and tried things they might not have reached for on their own. And during a journaling activity that asked people to revisit a sunrise or sunset from memory and sift through it using all five senses, the actual sky supplied one humdinger of a sunset, as if nature herself were conspiring in our favor. There we were, reaching back for a memory while making a new one together at the table.
As the saying goes, the photos don’t do it justice. You had to be there.
And that’s the point. The sunset was real. The connections were authentic. The creative explorations helped us see and think in new ways. We all left in better states of mind than when we’d arrived.
Rather than invoking FOMO, I hope you’ll consider this story my friendly nudge to round up some folks and make stuff. Whatever mediums speak to you, explore them. Not because of a strategic objective or a long list of benefits (though those exist, too). For the joy of it.
No need to ask Claude; I’m here to tell you that an evening with friends doesn’t need deliverables. Enjoy!
In Swellness,
Laura
P.S. Interested in collaborating on a real-time gathering for your brand or business? Drop me a line. I’d love to help.
Or if you could use some creative guidance for yourself or your business, you can learn more about my one-on-one creative coaching here. I can’t guarantee an epic sunset, but you’ll leave with a new perspective, fresh ideas and a solid game plan.